Monday, December 20, 2010

I love the clear plastic paint cans that are available at the local craft stores. They make the perfect cookie containers. Every year the cookies that I give to friends and family have a theme. Since it's been cold and snowy here, I chose a snowman theme. I baked sugar cookies in the shape of snowflakes (a medium size snowflake fits perfectly in the paint can) and decorated them with white royal icing and Wilton blue sugar pearls. I decorated the outside of the paint can with a snowman scene.

These cookies are on their way to a friend in Germany. He has never had Sugar Cookies and is eagerly awaiting this package. I used a large bread storage bag (available from www.KingArthurFlour.com) to line the can. I strongly recommend using the large bread bag because it helps to cushion the inside of the can and protects the cookies during shipment.* I was able to pack 12 cookies in the can with a little room left at the top so the lid would snap down without crushing the cookies.

Directions for Snowman Cookie Can:

Cricut Snow Friends and Winter Woodland cartridges

White, turquoise, black, lilac, blue and a small piece of orange card stock

Clear paint can-available at Michaels

Purple snowman print ribbon-available at Michaels

Martha Stewart snowflake paper punch

Green print paper

Xyron (optional)

Foam Dots

1. Load the Cricut Snow Friends cartridge into the Cricut machine and cut Snowman 10 at 3 inches. Press the scarf key and cut it out of turquoise card stock. Press the shoes, buttons and face keys and cut them out of black card stock. Cut the nose out of orange card stock. Assemble the snowman.

2. Glue the snowman to the front of the paint can using Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue. Press in place until glue begins to set. You can also use a Xyron machine to glue the snowman to the canister. Run the snowman through the machine and peel away the paper backing. Attach the snowman to the paint can. My Xyron machine is the small one, so I had to place my snowman at an angle to get it to fit through the machine.

3. Cut the trees at various sizes (2 inches, 1 1/2 inches, and 1 inch) out of green print paper using the Cricut Winter Woodland cartridge. I used two different shades of green print paper.

4. Run the trees through the Xyron, peel away the backing and attach to the paint can (or use tacky glue) on each side of the snowman.

5. Punch one lilac, one blue and white snowflake out of card stock using the Martha Stewart snowflake paper punch. Glue the snowflakes over the top of the snowman scene.

6. Tie a bow with the snowman print ribbon and attach to the paint can lid using foam dots.

* The bread bag provided excellent protection for the cookies. Eventhough the shipping package was quite battered and torn the cookies arrived intact.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

It was a long night but I finished the last of the cards around 1:00 a.m. and they are finally in the mail. Here's one of the cards that I mailed today.

I love the Wise men image on the Cricut Lite Inspired Heart cartridge. I wanted my Wise men to have a golden metallic look. I chose a golden bronze metallic paper and coordinated it with a deep violet blue card stock. The Wise men image was then matted on ivory glittered card stock.

1. Use the greeting card program to create a Christmas verse. Print it on white card stock using the horizontal half fold option.

2. Set the size dial on the Cricut to 3 inches and cut the Wise men out of golden bronze metallic paper. Next cut the background out of the deep violet blue card stock. Glue the Wise men to the background.

3. Cut a piece of ivory glittered card stock approximately 5 3/4 inches wide by 3 3/4 inches high. Glue the Wise men on top of the ivory card stock.

4. Cut a piece of deep violet blue card stock approximately 6 1/4 inches wide by 4 1/8 inches high and glue the Wise men image on top of the card stock.

5. Cut enough gold ribbon to tie a small bow. Glue the bow to the top left hand corner of the card.

Friday, December 17, 2010

I finished the first batch of Christmas cards this morning and it was off to the Post Office to mail them. Hopefully the last batch of cards will be finished tonight. It may be a long night because tomorrow is my mailing deadline. To save time I use the division of labor principle. I stamp or die cut the same image twice. Then I cut the borders, frames and ribbons for both cards at the same time. Once everything is cut out I start assembling both cards at the same time.

5. Cut a piece of blue card stock to fit the embossing folder and emboss it. Lightly sand the embossed image to highlight it. Glue the framed angel on top of the embossed image.

6. Use the greeting card program to print a Christmas verse and print it on the white card stock using the half fold option. Glue the embossed image with the angel to the front of the card.

7. Cut two pieces of gold ribbon to fit across the top (left) and bottom (right) corners of the card and glue them in place. Make a small bow using the gold ribbon and glue it over the ribbon in the top (left) corner of the card.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

It has been snowing here all day so I decided to work on some Christmas cards. These cards are going to our friends in Germany. The nativity scene is from the new Cricut Lite Inspired Heart cartridge. To make the second card I colored a stamped image with color pencils and then used solvent to give a softer, watercolor-like effect.

4. Cut the light blue patterned paper 1/4 inch larger (on all sides) than the slate blue card stock. Glue the slate blue card stock on top of the light blue patterned paper. Outline the edges of the slate blue card stock with the Platinum Stickles. Cut another piece of slate blue card stock slightly larger than the blue patterned paper. Glue the layered Nativity on top of this piece of card stock.

5. Using a greeting card program and white card stock select the half fold card option and print a Christmas verse.

6. Cut a piece of light blue glittered ribbon the length of the card. Fold the ends of the ribbon under the top and bottom edges of the card and glue in place. Center the framed Nativity on the card and glue over the ribbon. Make a small bow out of the same ribbon and glue above the Nativity frame.

1. Stamp the design on white card stock and let it dry. Color the design with color pencils. Use a combination of tan and light brown to color the cat. Color the ornaments with the color pencils.

2. Dip the blending stump in the solvent. Using a circular motion blend the colors of the cat until the color is even. Repeat this process to blend the color of each ornament.

3. Color the needles of the tree branch with a dark green marker.

4. Trim the stamped image to the desired size and glue to a piece of red patterned paper slightly larger than the stamped image.

5. Using a greeting card program and grey card stock print a Christmas verse using the half fold card option.

6. Cut a piece of green metallic ribbon slightly larger than the length of the card. Fold the ends of the ribbon under the top and bottom edges of the card and glue in place. Glue the red paper with the stamped image over the green ribbon. Make a small bow out of the green ribbon and glue above the stamped image.

7. Assemble a poinsettia with three layers and attach to the card (lower right) using a small gold color brad. Glue the poinsettia's leaves under the edges of the flower.

1. Using the greeting card program and white card stock print the invitation details on the inside of a half fold card.

2. Weld the letters Ho, Ho, Ho together using the Gypsy and the Gypsy Font and then cut it out of green card stock at .75 inches.

3. Cut Santa 1 at 3 inches out of red card stock using the Cricut Jolly Holidays cartridge. Press the shift key and cut Santa's sack, belt and shoes out of black card stock. Press the layer key and cut the top of Santa's face out of pink card stock. Load white card stock into the Cricut, press the Layer and Shift keys and cut Santa's beard. Assemble Santa, highlight the sack with black glitter glue and the belt with gold glitter glue. Set aside until the glitter glue dries.

4. Cut the Christmas patterned card stock approximately 3 3/4 inches wide by 4 inches high. Cut the dark red card stock approximately 1/4 inch larger than the dimensions of the Christmas patterned card stock. Glue the Christmas patterned card stock on top of the dark red card stock leaving a 1/4 inch border on all sides. Center Santa on top of the Christmas patterned card stock and glue in place. Center the card stock with the Santa on the card and glue in place.

5. Glue Ho, Ho, Ho above the framed Santa.

6. Assemble the poinsettia using three flower layers. Attach the poinsettia to the lower right hand edge of the Santa frame, using a gold color brad. Glue the leaves just under the poinsettia.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

It's finally finished! The finished length is 72 inches (38 inches per panel). The scarf is long enough to be worn as a hood and then wrapped around the neck twice. I only wish that I could have worn it last night during the snowstorm.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Christmas shopping season is upon us and like everyone else I have been searching the stores for the perfect gifts. Rather than continuing to battle the holiday crowds at the stores to try to find the gift that I have in mind, I decided to make my own gifts.

Beaded necklaces are easy to make. The best part is that beads are available in every price range and color. I am fortunate enough to have a bead supplier in my area that specializes in real stones. The first necklace was made with turquoise and quartz beads while the second necklace was made with onyx beads.

4. Add 3 crimp beads after the tear drop beads on each end of the necklace. String one end of the clasp onto the beading wire and loop it back through the crimp beads and pull the wire tight. Crimp the crimping bead nearest the clasp. Trim away the excess beading wire and seal with a dot of jewelry glue. Repeat this process on the other side of the necklace.

3. String the beads in the following order: *2 brass beads, 2 onyx beads and repeat from * until the necklace reaches almost 18 inches in length. End the necklace with 2 brass beads.

4. Add 3 crimp beads after the 2 brass beads. String one end of the clasp onto the beading wire and loop it back through the crimp beads and pull the wire tight. Crimp the crimping bead nearest the clasp. Trim away the excess beading wire and seal with a dot of jewelry glue. Repeat this process on the other side of the necklace.